Happy Labor Day everyone! I hope you all are enjoying your holiday, whether you get to relax with friends and family or if you have to work.

Spotted this beautiful Cadillac Sedan parked near Venice, CA. I believe it is the DeVille model but it might also be the Fleetwood. Let me know – how can one tell the difference? It may lack the finish and polish of a restored version, but this Caddy still has flair and I love the body lines. Enjoy

LACS fans and blog visitors – it has been too long and I apologize! The film industry has been keeping me busy non-stop and leaves little time for fun activities like car spotting. To start us back up after a hiatus, we have a 1974 Chevy Camaro spotted in Silverlake sporting some nice polished Crager rims.

The second-generation Chevrolet Camaro was produced by Chevrolet from 1970 through the 1981 model years. It was introduced in the spring of 1970. It was longer, lower, and wider than the first generation Camaro.

Dubbed “Super Hugger”, the second-generation Camaro was developed without the rush of the first generation and benefited from a greater budget justified by the success of the first generation.[citation needed] Although it was an all-new car, the basic mechanical layout of the new Camaro was familiar, engineered much like its predecessor with a unibody structure utilizing a front subframe, A-arm and coil spring front suspension, and rear leaf springs. The chassis and suspension of the second generation were greatly refined in both performance and comfort; base models offered significant advances in sound-proofing, ride isolation, and road-holding.

Extensive experience Chevrolet engineers had gained racing the first-generation led directly to advances in second-generation Camaro steering, braking, and balance. Although it began its run with a number of high-performance configurations, as the 1970s progressed, the Camaro grew less powerful, succumbing, like many production cars of the era, to the pressures of tightening emissions regulations and a fuel crisis. Major styling changes were made in 1974 and 1978; 1981 was the final model year for the second-generation Camaro.

The 1971 Mercury Cougar Convertible is the story of a changing landscape for American muscle car. The transition from big power and arguably beautiful styling to emission restricted motors and subdued architecture. This 1971 Cougar bridges the gap between the times and does so wonderfully. Enjoy.

Some info about the Cougar:

For 1971, the Cougar was restyled, weighed less, and had only a one-inch-longer wheelbase than its predecessors (112 vs. 111 – which was similar to GM’s intermediate-sized two-door models, such as the Olds Cutlass). The front end now featured four exposed headlights; the disappearing headlights were eliminated. The center grille piece was now larger, sharing its appearance with the 1971 Mercury Cyclone. The rear featured a semifastback with a “flying buttress” sail-panel. The convertible returned, as did the XR-7 and the GT package. The Eliminator package was dropped, but the Ram Air option remained. The engine lineup was revised for 1971, as well. Now only three engines were offered—the standard 240 hp (179 kW) 351 Windsor two-barrel V8, the 285 hp (213 kW) 351 Cleveland four-barrel V8, and the 370 hp (276 kW) 429 Cobra Jet four-barrel V8.

By 1972, the climate had begun to change as the muscle car era ended. No longer able to use gross power numbers, the manufacturers had to use net power figures, which dropped the once-mighty figures down substantially. Engines were shuffled around a bit with the 429 engine option no longer available. They were now the standard 163 hp (122 kW) 351 Cleveland two-barrel V8, or the 266 hp (198 kW) 351C four-barrel Cobra Jet V8. Other than that, the Cougar remained a carryover from 1971. Only minor trim details were changed in 1972. The big-block engines were gone for 1972 and 1973. The days of performance-oriented muscle cars were coming to an end.

The Chevy Nova, also known as the Chevy II, was a small bodied coupe/sedan that was stuffed with an available V8. This particular Nova sedan (Third Generation) sports a custom hood, new wheels and what I’m hoping is a Big Block V8 under the hood (but who knows)! Take a look…

Some info via Wiki:

For 1969 the Chevy II nameplate was retired, leaving the Nova nameplate.[16] The “Chevy II by Chevrolet” trunklid badge was replaced with “Nova by Chevrolet” and the “Chevy II” badge above the grille was replaced with the bowtie emblem and the ’69 model was promoted under the Nova model name in Chevrolet sales literature.[17]

As with other 1969 GM vehicles, locking steering columns were incorporated into the Nova. Simulated air extractor/vents were added below the Nova script, which was relocated to the front fender behind the wheelwell instead of the rear quarter panel. The 350 cu in (5.7 L) V8 with four-barrel carburetor that came standard with the SS option was revised with a 5 hp (4 kW) increase to 300 hp (220 kW), while a two-barrel carbureted version of the 350 cu in (5.7 L) V8 rated at 255 hp (190 kW) was a new option on non-SS models. The SS option price remained US$312[18] A new Turbo-Hydramatic 350 three-speed automatic was made available for non-SS Novas with six-cylinder and V8 engines, although the older two-speed Powerglide continued to be available on the smaller-engined Novas. 1969 SS models were the first Nova SS models to have standard front disc brakes.

For 1974, the Chevrolet Nova got larger parking lights and new bow-tie grille emblems, as well as modified bumpers that added two inches to length and helped cushion minor impacts. The Powerglide was replaced by a lightweight version of the three-speed Turbo-Hydramatic 350 ( THM 250 ) already offered with the 350 cu in (5.7 L) V8, which was the only V8 offered for 1974. Nova sales continued the surge they had enjoyed since 1972 and approached 400,000 cars for 1974. Six-cylinder Novas were the fastest gainers, as sales of V-8 Novas declined. These were the years of the first energy crisis as Middle Eastern countries cut back on oil exports. After waiting for hours in gas lines and fretting about the prospect of fuel rationing, thrifty compacts looked pretty good to plenty of Americans. Nova fit the bill.